Have you ever gone to jump in your pool on a perfect summer day only to find a burnt out pump and less than desirable swimming conditions? Are you installing a new pool and need advice on the best pool equipment?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! Shopping for pool equipment is no easy task. You could spend hours visiting stores and performing research. Thanks to our site, there’s no need for any of that. With years of experience in the field and a belief that everyone deserves their own backyard oasis, we have compiled the most honest, in-depth, and unbiased pool equipment guides and reviews.
Dive right in to find the best pool equipment for your little slice of paradise today.
What Are The Major Swimming Pool Components?
A swimming pool may only seem like a giant basin of water to some, but on a scorching hot summer day, a glistening swimming pool can seem like the best thing since sliced bread. However, there are a lot of components and cool technology responsible for keeping it crystal clear and sparkling clean. Let’s have look at these components:
Pool Pump System
Most of us never think twice about what’s tucked away in the pump room. We simply pay a “pool guy” to add chemicals and maintain it once a month or so. However, a smart pool owner is a happy pool owner, so it helps to know about your pool’s pump system.
The water pump is essentially the heart of your pool system. Most pump systems utilize an electric motor to spin an impeller, which drives water through the filter and back out into the pool through the water inlets.
Pool Filters
The majority of pools use sand filters, which consist of a large fiberglass tank containing a thick layer of square-shaped sand specially designed for water filtration. During the filtering process, water from your pool flows through the inlet pipe into the water distribution head on the inside of the tank. With the help of gravity, the water filters down through the sand. Now free of dirt and debris, the filtered water in the bottom of the tank flows back out into your pool via the outlet pipe.
Drain System
Water flows into your pool’s filtering system through multiple skimmer drains found around the top of your pool and two or more larger primary drains located at the bottom. With most pools, the main drains are located at the lowest point in the swimming pool and the entire bottom of the pool is designed to slant towards them. To avoid the potential hazard of limbs or hair getting caught, nearly all drains feature grated or anti-vortex covers.
Pool Chemicals
Your pool’s filter system performs all of the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping the water sparkling clean, but the right chemistry is also needed. Chlorine is the most common disinfecting agent and comes in solid form as calcium hypochlorite or liquid form as sodium hypochlorite. When added to water, it reacts with the water and forms hypochlorous acid and a number of other chemicals responsible for killing bacteria and other pathogens.
Pool Heater
A pool heater is a must for any pool owner. After all, it’s impossible to enjoy a 60-degree pool! There are basically three types of pool heaters: gas, electric, and solar. Each has their own pros and cons, and some heat pools better than others. Keep reading to learn more about pool heaters and find the best one for your pool.
Types of Pool Heaters Available
So, you’re tired of freezing your tootsies off and are here to find the best pool heater for your pool. This can be a tricky process because of the wide-variety of pool heaters on the market to choose from. Here’s the rundown on the three most common types of pool heaters to help you narrow down your options and make the best purchase.
Solar Pool Heater
A solar swimming pool heater utilizes solar panels to collect and transfer heat from the sun directly to your pool. Often placed next to a pool or on a roof, a solar panel collects heat as it sits in the sun. Since it connects directly to the swimming pool pump, water is directed through the panel, where it’s heated before being returned back into the pool. Unfortunately, even the best pool solar heating relies upon the sun. Therefore, many pool owners use an auxiliary heater for swimming at night and on cloudy days.
Solar pool heaters are great for the environment and even better for your wallet. Although they can be large and cost more than electric or gas pool heaters, they provide noticeably warmer water with almost zero added operating cost, making them an increasingly popular option for today’s smart pool owners.
- Extremely inexpensive to operate
- Very energy efficient
- Environmentally-friendly
- Long life span
- Reliant upon the sun
- Only ideal for certain climates
- Can be expensive to purchase
- Typically very large and impossible to hide
- Heats water slower than other options
Gas Pool Heater
Gas swimming pool heaters utilize natural gas or propane to generate heat. Thanks to the power of combustion, they work incredibly well and are often the best pool heaters for in-ground pools. With gas pool heaters, the gas burns inside of a titanium, copper, or Cupro nickel combustion chamber containing a series of coils. When the gas burns inside of the combustion chamber, water flows past the coils and is heated.
Gas pool heaters have been the most popular type of pool heaters for quite some time for their undeniable heating power. However, their popularity is waning as of late due to rising gas prices and the availability of more efficient options. That being said, as far as performance goes, nothing beats a gas heater. If you’re willing to pay more each month for the performance of gas and are looking for the best natural gas pool heater, you’ll be happy to know there are a variety of excellent options out there to choose from.
- Heat pool water very quickly
- Lower purchasing cost
- Not reliant on the sun or any other environmental factors
- Suitable for pools of all sizes
- Not energy efficient or environmentally-friendly
- Expensive to operate
- Shorter lifespan of up to 10 years
Electric Pool Heater
Electric pool heaters, also called electric resistance pool heaters, utilize electric current to generate heat. The current is applied to a heating element or resistor inside of the pool heater, heating it up. Then, water flows over the heating element, which heats up the water and conversely cools the heating element. While effective, even the best electric pool heaters will require considerable more energy to operate than other heating options.
Electric pool heaters do a decent job of heating up water, and although they can be costly to operate, they’re also inexpensive to purchase, making them a popular option for spa owners or people with smaller pools.
A swimming pool heater can be a big investment, but it’s also a necessary one. Unless you only like being able to use your pool a few months out of the year, you’re going to want to equip your pool with a quality pool heater today. If you’re still unsure about which type of pool heater is right for you, our guides and reviews will point you in the right direction.
- Inexpensive purchase cost
- Not reliant on the sun or other environmental factors
- Environmentally-friendly (zero emissions)
- Costly to operate
- Only suitable for spas and smaller pools
- Can be difficult to install
- Not energy efficient
Patio Heater
This is not a direct heater of your pool. But it is also an integral part of your patio, since in cool weather, it is the patio heater that will warm you after swimming in your pool.
Types of Pool Pumps Available
Every pool needs a pump. Without a pool pump system, a sparkling inviting pool would be nothing more than a stagnant pond. Despite their importance, there are only three basic types of pool pumps available. So, if you’re wondering what is the best pool pump, we’ll keep this short and sweet with a brief overview of each.
Single Speed Pool Pumps
Single speed pool pumps are responsible for keeping nearly 75 percent of the pools in the world clean and sparkling. Why, you ask? Well, because most pool contractors use them due to their low purchase cost. Unfortunately, their low upfront costs hurt pool owners in the long run in the form of higher operating costs. Operating continually at 3450 revolutions per minute when running, single speed pool pumps are far from efficient.
Single speed pool pumps are widely used and relatively straightforward. However, they also run at the same speed all the time, making them far less efficient and more costly to operate than dual and variable speed pumps. Nonetheless, due to their low purchase price and no-nonsense design, single speed pumps are by far the most popular option.
If you’re looking for the best swimming pool pumps, a single speed pump may not be what you’re after. On the other hand, if you want an inexpensive and proven pump that can have your pool up and running in no time, it’s likely your best bet.
- Low upfront costs
- Widely used
- Easier and less expensive to repair
- High operating cost
- Not energy efficient
Dual Speed Pool Pumps
Dual speed pool pumps operate at two speeds, 1725 RPM and 3450 RPM. This allows you to adjust their flow as needed and experience noticeably lower operating costs. While dual speed pool pumps are more expensive upfront than single speed pumps, they’re much quieter when operating at low speed and save pool owners a decent chunk of change each month on their utility bills. Although a dual speed pool pump isn’t the absolute best energy efficient pool pump, as you’ll see below, you’ll still be pleased with its performance and savings.
Dual speed pool pumps are a great option for almost any pool owner. If you want the very best pool pump motor, you may want to check out a variable speed pump. However, if you want the next best thing, a dual speed pool pump is the way to go.
- Lower operating costs
- Allow you to adjust for performance or efficiency as needed
- Quiet when operating at low speed
- Higher purchase price
- Fine tuning the flow rates can be difficult
- Timer or controller may need to be purchased at an additional cost
Variable Speed Pool Pumps
Like their name suggests, variable speed pool pumps operate at variable speeds. In fact, these top-of-the-line pool pumps have a multitude of speeds ranging from 600-3450 RPM. This makes them the quietest , least expensive to operate, and best rated pool pumps on the market today. While you’ll have to pony up more for a variable speed pool pump, it’s an investment worth making.
If you’re here in search of the very best pool pump for your backyard oasis, you can’t go wrong with a variable speed pump. The best variable speed pool pump will provide you with years of carefree, energy-efficient swimming enjoyment.
A pool pump consumes more energy than any other household appliance or system, so it’s only natural to explore your options and discover a great energy-efficient model. When shopping for a pool pump, a dual speed or variable speed pool pump is likely your best option. Ultimately, the amount of time you spend in your pool and the cost of electricity in your area should steer your decision.
- Much less expensive to operate
- Extremely quiet
- Able to fine tune flow rates in no time
- Highest upfront costs
- Installation and use can be tricky at first
The Next Step
By now, you’ve certainly taken in quite a bit of info. However, this is only the beginning of your pool equipment shopping quest. The next step is to spend a little time discovering your best pool equipment options and deciding on the best pump, filter, and heater for your budget and your pool.
Spend the next few minutes reading through our in-depth and unbiased pool equipment guides and reviews to learn even more about these necessary pool components and narrow down your list of options. By taking in as much as you can here on this site, you’ll be able to pick out the right equipment for your pool and begin enjoying a sparkling clean oasis year after year!
